Russians are planning route to Zaporizhzhia through bottom of Kakhovka reservoir, - NYT
Russian troops are attempting to use the area of the former Kakhovka Reservoir as a new route to advance toward Zaporizhzhia. After the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was blown up, the reservoir dried up, and its bottom became overgrown with dense vegetation, making it difficult to use drones.
According to Censor.NET, The New York Times reports this, citing Ukrainian military officials.
According to Oleksiy Seredyuk, commander of the "Brotherhood" battalion, Russian troops are seeking to establish control over the territory of the former reservoir in order to use it for troop movements and attempt to reach the opposite bank.
According to him, hundreds of Russian soldiers have already been deployed in this area. The occupiers are setting up observation posts and assembly points for their personnel.
Seredyuk described the combat operations in the area of the former reservoir as extremely difficult due to dense vegetation and poor visibility.
Ukrainian military personnel compare this route to the so-called Ho Chi Minh Trail—a network of paths in Vietnam that was used to secretly move troops, weapons, and supplies.
Infantry battles are raging again in this area
According to the NYT, the area of the former reservoir has effectively turned into a separate zone of infantry combat with direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian troops.
A squad commander with the call sign Apache told the publication that his unit had clashed with Russian infantry twice over the course of two weeks. Ukrainian troops managed to take one of them prisoner.
Back in June, Ukrainian military officials reported that the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir had been turned into a so-called "gray zone." At the time, it was noted that the Russians were using an old Soviet stone road—which had previously been submerged—to advance.
Dense vegetation makes it difficult to use drones
One of the main characteristics of this sector is its dense vegetation. Because of this, the use of drones is significantly more difficult here than in other sectors of the front.
According to Seredyuk, because of the thick undergrowth, Ukrainian soldiers sometimes need several days to find their fellow soldiers.
At the same time, according to Ukrainian commanders, Russian troops in this area often try to avoid direct combat. Some of them focus on surveillance and passing on intelligence.
Ukrainian military officials report Russian casualties
Ukrainian defenders are also reporting significant losses among Russian troops during attempts to regain control of the village of Primorske and other settlements south of Zaporizhzhia.
According to an officer with the call sign "Black," the quality of Russian units in this sector has declined. Many of the newly arrived soldiers, he said, are inexperienced recruits.
He also stated that an increasing number of Russian soldiers are surrendering, in part because word has spread among them that the Ukrainian side treats prisoners humanely.
